1 . Saving the environment might seem like a tall order, but living an environmentally friendly life is actually quite easy.     1     Read on for some practical tips on how a single individual can help save the environment.

Recycle

Recycling is a simplest lifestyle to lower the amount of environmental waste. Every resident can get involved by taking advantage of nearby recycling services.     2     For instance, some places may not accept glass, while others might require you to separate the different materials. If you dispose of something improperly, the whole load will likely be rejected and end up in a landfill.

Buy locally-sourced foods

Eating fresh, local food consumes less fuel and packaging materials. Shipping products by truck, rail, flight, or boat creates pollution and goes against an environmentally friendly lifestyle. Instead, shop at local farmers’ markets and grocery stores stocking locally-sourced products.     3     .

Cut back on driving

Applying alternate forms of transportation consumes less gasoline.     4     If that isn’t an option, consider organizing carpools or using public transportation. By doing this, you help reduce traffic jams and the overall amount of gasoline consumption. Also, combine multiple trips into one to help minimize the distance traveled and fuel consumed.

    5    

Advocacy allows more people to create a positive impact. Spread the word about environmental conservation by sharing some of the lifestyle changes you’ve made on social media and in conversations with people around, calling on everybody to play a role.

A．Cut back your carbon footprint

B．Walk or ride a bike whenever possible

C．Encourage others to help save the environment

D．Check the regulations to ensure you use them properly

E．The topic of preserving natural resources entertains everyone

F．With just a few small lifestyle changes, you can make a difference

G．Alternatively, use community-supported services to get fresh produce regularly

2 . The Best Space Museums

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum | Washington

Housing 60, 000 air and space collections, the museum enables visitors to learn about the rich history of aviation by viewing the first successful aircraft—the 1903 Wright Flyer—and everything that came next. From pilot uniforms to NASA spacesuits, engines and equipment, you’ll find it all at this museum.

National Museum of the U. S. Air Force | Dayton

If your main interests lie in military aviation, this museum will have everything you’ve ever wanted to see. It features exhibits on World War II, the Korean War, the Southeast Asia War and the Cold War. They’ve also got a Missile Gallery as well as a Space Gallery where visitors can walk inside a full-size reproduction of a NASA shuttle.

U. S. Space and Rocket Center |Huntsville

Space fans know this museum to be the site of the original Space Camp, including the film by the same name, but there’s plenty more to see here. The Center has a number of exhibits both indoors and out and many play areas for younger kids. 3D movies and live science shows add to the appeal. Most impressively, it is totally free to visitors.

Pima Air& Space Museum | Tucson

The privately funded museum has been in operation for over 40 years and has over 300historic aircraft on display. You’ll also find several exhibits that range from seaplanes and aircraft carriers to paper airplanes and women in flight. One of the biggest draws, though, is its extensive “boneyard”, a collection of over 4,000 U. S. government and military aircraft that are either being recycled or regenerated.

1. What feature distinguishes National Museum of the U. S. Air Force from the others?

A．It organizes space camps every year.

B．It has a shuttle of the same size as a real one.

C．It has a history of 40 years.

D．It charges a small entrance fee.

2. If you are a student on a tight budget, which museum are you expected to go?

A．Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.

B．National Museum of the U. S. Air Force.

C．U. S. Space and Rocket Center.

D．Pima Air & Space Museum.

3. What is this text?

A．An introduction to some museums.

B．A family outing guide.

C．A travel event brochure.

D．A commercial ad.

3 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What was going on in the town where the speaker lived?

A．A flood.

B．A forest fire.

C．An earthquake.

2. Why couldn’t the speaker see the sun?

A．It was getting darker.

B．It was raining cats and dogs.

C．The sky was covered by thick smoke.

3. Where was the speaker’s son?

A．He was abroad.

B．He was in town.

C．He was in the garden.

4. What did the speaker see on the road?

A．Trees were burning.

B．People were escaping.

C．Animals were running.

4 . If the great dinosaurs hadn’t gone extinct, would they have dominated Earth today? There has been a debate about this possibility for decades. Recently two analyses have put the surprising cognitive (认知) abilities of dinosaurs — and their potential limitations — in a new light.

In one study, Suzana Herculano-Houzel at Vanderbilt University calculated the likely number of neurons (神经细胞) in dinosaurs’ pallium, a brain structure that is responsible for advanced cognitive functions. Research suggests that it is the number of neurons in these areas, rather than the brain size, that indicates an animal’s cognitive potential. For example, despite having a very small head, birds have more densely packed brain cells than many mammals (哺乳动物) and so can possess roughly as many neurons as monkeys. The result is that some birds show great cognitive abilities, comparable to the smartest non-human mammals. And it is precisely birds, being the only surviving lineage (宗系) of dinosaurs, that are Herculano-Houzel’s foundation. By comparing the relationship between brain size, number of neurons and body size in numerous existing birds and available fossils of dinosaurs, Herculano-Houzel concludes that a large dinosaur such as T. rex could have housed two billion to three billion neurons in its pallium. If so, dinosaurs could have had the capacity for tool use and planning for the future.

But neurons’ number may not be enough. For intelligence, brain architecture also matters. And this could be the weakness of dinosaurs, argues Anton Reiner from the University of Tennessee. Over 350 million years of separate evolution, mammals and dinosaurs found two rather different ways to organize cognitive functions. The mammalian neurons are organized in a relatively thin layer formed by compact columns. In each column, different parts can communicate with one another over short distances. In contrast, in the dinosaurs that survive today, namely birds, the organization is less compact. According to Reiner, expanding brain capabilities beyond a certain point could make the structure far more complex and less efficient than it is in humans. If this were the case, an increase in brain size would correspond to a greater distance between different parts of the brain, slowing down their communication.

The issue remains open to debate. Herculano-Houzel and Reiner each published a paper with rejections to the other’s argument. Meanwhile, other scientists have entered the fight. For example, neurobiologist Giorgio Vallortigara assumes that speed in transmitting information between networks of neurons is probably one of dinosaurs’ strengths.

Whatever the truth is, understanding how and if brain architecture imposes limits on the development of cognition could reveal much about the evolution of abilities and behaviors of various animals. Also, this debate may tell us more about our own species than about dinosaurs.

1. Why do Herculano-Houzel and Reiner study birds?

A．Because birds are more intelligent than dinosaurs.

B．Because birds’ brain structures are the same as dinosaurs’.

C．Because birds are the only survivors of the dinosaur family.

D．Because birds have the same cognitive abilities as dinosaurs.

2. What does the word “compact” underlined in Paragraph 3 most probably mean?

A．Tight.

B．Light.

C．Large.

D．Wide.

3. What can be inferred from the passage?

A．Dinosaurs’ ability for tool use owes to bigger brains.

B．The number of neurons has little to do with brain architecture.

C．Greater inter-brain distance causes higher cognitive efficiency.

D．The factors behind dinosaur intelligence remain to be identified.

4. Which would be the best title for the passage?

A．Are Dinosaurs Comparable to Humans in Intelligence?

B．Are Dinosaurs with Bigger Brains the Ultimate Geniuses?

C．How Smart Were Dinosaurs? New Studies Fuel the Debate

D．Can Dinosaurs Outsmart Birds? Researches Cast a New Light

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

For thousands of years, the Yellow River has been considered     1       cradle of Chinese civilization.

In order to protect the     2     (ecology) environment of the Yellow River, support the sustainable development of the surrounding areas, and showcase its cultural heritage, a project is now underway,     3     aims to create a range of recreational     4     (facility) along the river’s banks.

Some museums are also planning to present the historical and cultural relics     5     (discover) along the Yellow River and promote the culture of the Yellow River, using AR, VR and other advanced technologies. In the coming years, a series of activities     6     (arrange) to protect and inherit the culture of those ethnics living along the river.

The project incorporates archaeological research and the protection of cultural relics in these areas.The rich heritage serves as an important resource for the     7     (construct) of the Yellow River National Cultural Park. The project will make full use of the existing archaeological sites, bringing these ancient relics back to life so they can tell their stories.

Flood control and disaster prevention work will be carried out along the Yellow River to protect the environment and keep residents    8     (complete) safe while these cultural parks are being built, They will be developed as a new kind of “intelligent parks”     9     (feature) creative models to provide residents     10     some brand- new infrastructure (基础设施) .

9 . Scientists have identified two minerals never before seen on Earth in a meteorite (陨石) weighing 15.2 metric tons. The minerals came from a 70-gram slice of the meteorite, which was discovered in Somalia in 2020, according to a news release from the University of Alberta.

Chris Herd, the curator (馆长) of the university’s meteorite collection, received samples of the space rock so he could classify it. As he was examining them, something unusual caught his eye—some parts of the samples weren’t identifiable by a microscope. He then turned to Andrew Locock, head of the university’s Electron Microprobe Laboratory, since Locock has experience of describing new minerals.

“The very first day he did some analyses, and he found two new minerals in there,” Herd said in a statement. “That’s extraordinary. Most of the time it takes a lot more work than that to say there’s a new mineral.”

One mineral’s name: elaliite, comes from the space object itself, which is called the “EI Ali” meteorite since it was found near the, town of EI Ali in central Somalia. Herd named the second one elkinstantonite after Lindy Elkins-Tanton, an outstanding professor in that university’s School of Earth and Space Exploration and the principal investigator of NASA’s upcoming Psyche mission. “Lindy has done a lot of work on how the cores of planets form,” Herd said. “It makes sense to name a mineral after her.”

Locock’s work went perfectly smooth for a reason. Similar minerals had been synthetically (合成地) created before, and therefore, he was able to match the composition of the newly discovered minerals with their human-made counterparts, according to the University of Alberta release. “It’s just accidental that a researcher will find a mineral in a meteorite that hasn’t been known before, and then that the same compound (化合物) has been created previously by materials scientists,” said Alan Rubin,a meteorite researcher.

Meanwhile, the researchers are still analyzing the minerals to find out what the conditions were in the meteorite when the space rock formed.

1. What did Chris Herd do after he found something unusual?

A．He sought external support.	B．He weighed the meteorite again.
C．He carefully preserved the samples.	D．He examined the rock with a microscope.

2. What impressed Chris Herd a lot?

A．The weight and volume of the meteorite.

B．The significant value of minerals in the meteorite.

C．Locock’s quick identification of two new minerals.

D．Locock’s professional analyses of the rock samples.

3. Why was one mineral named elkinstantonite?

A．To indicate the place where the meteorite was found.

B．To show the major component of the meteorite.

C．To remind people of who discovered the rock.

D．To honor Lindy’s contributions to science.

4. What made Locock’s smooth work possible?

A．The existence of similar artificial minerals.

B．The regular composition of the new minerals,

C．His rare ability to create new materials in labs.

D．His extensive cooperation with materials scientists.

10 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的短文。

When John pulled into his mother’s driveway with his young daughter, Lily, the sight of the familiar lychee (荔枝) tree welcomed them. “Look, Lily,” John said, pointing to the towering tree in the front yard. “It’s the family tree.”

Lily smiled as John treated the tree as if it were a real family member, patting its trunk (树干) affectionately. As they were admiring the tree, the screen door opened and out stepped Grandma Mei, bathed in the warm Florida sunlight. Grandma Mei, who came from the province of Guangdong in China, was known for her green thumb, particularly when it came to lychees.

Seeing her granddaughter, Grandma Mei adjusted her baseball cap and asked if Lily was ready for some lychees. But Lily hesitated, for the fruit’s appearance was unlike any other fruit she had tried before. With a laugh, Grandma Mei gave her a gentle hug. “More lychees for me then, John,” Grandma Mei said.

“Let’s get busy!” John said with enthusiasm, rubbing his hands together. “Family tree’s waiting.”

Hearing Dad calling the tree by name, Lily couldn’t help laughing. “Laugh if you want, Lily, but this tree is really family. On cold nights, before family tree was fully grown, Grandma Mei used to take my blanket and throw it over that tree.” Grandma Mei nodded, adding that she had to protect the tree from bad weather so that it would become a big strong tree and grow fruit for the whole family.

John, eager to start the day’s work, began climbing the tree, determined to harvest the best lychees for the family. Lily watched in amazement, noticing the clusters (簇) of lychees, their skin rough yet inviting.

As John skillfully cut through the branches with a cutter, Lily expressed her concern for the well-being of the tree. John explained to her that cutting the ends of branches won’t hurt family tree. Instead such behaviour made it healthier and stronger.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。

Lily’s hesitation towards the fruit gradually shifted to curiosity and she wanted to try it.

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Later in the afternoon, they all sat under the tree, surrounded by boxes filled with lychees and sharing stories related to lychees.

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